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(No Model.)

J. D. AVEREL'L. v PROCESS OF AND APPARAT'US'FOR GENERATING WOOD GAS. No. 360,945. Patented Apr.

WITNESSfiS; 1 INVENTDR {Fake/4i 60% 2 M64 n PETERS. "MB-WW, walmngm u'c.

. UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN D. AVERELL, OF BROOKLYN, N. Y., ASSIGNOR, BY DIRECT AND MESN E ASSIGNMENTS, OF PART TO GEORGE F. SWIFT, OF SAME PLACE, WILLIAM H. PLATT, OF ALBANY, AND ARTHUR FITCH, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

PROCESS OF AND APPARATUS FOR GENERATING WOOD-GAS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No, 360,945, dated April 12, 1887.

Application filed April 24, 1886. Serial No. 200,037.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, JOHN D. AVERELL, a citizen of the United States of America, and a resident of the city of Brooklyn, in the county of Kings and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Process of and Apparatus for Generating Wood-Gas, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to a process for generating wood and oil gas by distilling and de composing the wood in conjunction with superheated steam in a heated retort and simultaneously decomposing oil in a secondary heated retort and passing the gases resulting from decomposition of wood and steam into'such secondary retort and there combining and fixing them with the oil gas. Both products are mixed under high heat and delivered from the 2o latter retort intoa wash-box to dispose of their unfixed products, and the more fixed gases are passed through a scrubber for final disposal of the unfixed gases, and the fixed products are either hereafter conducted through the usual purifying apparatus or directly stored in the gas-ho1der for consumption.

By means of the foregoing process, a highcandle-power fixed wood-gas is obtained at a comparatively small expense.

3o Said invention relates,also,to improvements in the construction of the apparatus for efiecting successfully the process, hereinafter more fully set forth.

' In the drawings hereto annexed, Figure 1 5 5 represents a longitudinal vertical section of an apparatus for carrying into effect my improvement. Fig. 2 is a transverse vertical section of the same. A represents a suitable furnace with an ash- A 40 pit, B, and a grate, O, furnished with doors D,

to remove the ashes and charge the coal. At a proper distance above the grate O are arranged the wood-retorts E, having their bottom sides protected by a tile floor, F, under them, and supported by a wall, G, along each side of the grate, as shown in Fig. 2. Over the retorts E is made a large fire-proof arch, H, resting on the side walls, I, of the furnace.

(No model.)

Between the walls I and partition-walls G suitable flue-spaces are provided along the retorts,whic]1 spaces connect with the fire-box by flue-openings J in the wall G, and connect between the wall I and retort with the space under the archH and the top of the retorts. A small central opening, K, through the forward part of the tile F,al1ows a portion of the draft from the fire-box to pass up between the retorts. The space under the arch H is connected with the chimney L at the rear end of the bench,and in said space is placed a central fiat oil-gas retort, M, arranged longitudinally in the furnace and passing through both of its ends above the retorts E. In the lining of the arch H are arranged several oil-heating pipes, N, and steam-superheating pipes 0, both passing longitudinally through and back and forward in the furnace, and are respectively con nected at their outer ends-the oil-pipes with oilgas retort M and the steampipes with wooddistilling retort E-as shown in Fig. 1. The wood-distilling retorts E are set lower at their rear ends, being thus inclined downward from front to rear, to facilitate the passage of their gaseous products to the forward ends, which have the throats P for delivery, and such throats are connected with the throats Q,for1ning theinlets of the retort M. Said retorts E have each suitable lids to close their front ends after being charged with wood. The front opening of the retort M is also furnished with a movablecover, R, and the rear end of this retort is connected with the discharge end of the oil-pipes N, and has attached,for delivery of the gaseous products, the vertical dip-pipe S, which conducts said products into the water of the wash-box T, and said products pass from the gas-space of said box by means of the gas-main U into the lefthand gas-compartment of the vertical scrubber V, and over its shelves (1 to its bottom connecting-space, from which said products rise from under the shelves b in the right-hand compartment of said scrubber and discharge through its delivery-opening W to the usual purifying apparatus or the gas-holder direct. (Not here shown.) he delivery end of the steam-pipe Ois connected with the top of the forward parts of the retorts at c, and said pipe 0 is furnished with a suitable valve, d, for regulating the supply of steam to the retorts, which steam is suitably superheated in passing through the pipes in the top of the furnace. The rear end of the retort M is set considerably higher than its forward end, to facilitate the oil passing down in it and assist the gaseous products to pass upward. The oil for this retort is supplied from an elevated oil-tank, X, by means of the pipe Y, which has on its end the oil-cock y, by which its How is suitably regulated. The inlet end of the oil-pipe N has a funnel, Z, into which the oil flows from the cock 3 In passing through the pipes N in the top of the furnace, forward and rearward, the oil becomes highly heated, and in that state passes into the retort M, in which it is decomposed. Its gaseous products mingle with and enrich the gaseous products f1 om the wood, which pass up through them, and both are fixed together in said retort, and the resulting gas flows into the wash-box and scrubber, as before described, their unfixed parts being condensed and the resulting acid and tarry liquid overflow from the wash-box and scrubber for collection into a suitable cistern. The retort M is made with a number of vertical fines, h, passing through it, to obtain a large and powerful heating-surface.

In carrying out the process of manufacturing fixed illuminating wood-gas, the furnace is fired and the retorts are heated in the usual manner, the wood-retorts E being preferably raised to or above a lively cherry-red-that is, from 800 to 1,000 Fahrenheit. \Vhen properly heated, the retorts E are charged with dry wood, pine wood being preferred. Soon after the distillation commences, steam is passed through the superheating-coils O, and in the superheated state is admitted into the wood-retorts, where it aids in driving off the gas from the wood and combines with the tarry matter expelled from the wood, resulting in their mutual decomposition and the formation of carbonic oxide, hydrogen, and carbureted hydrogen. The tarry matter is thus utilized by being mostly converted into gas by com bining with hydrogen and oxygen resulting from the decomposition of steam; and, further, the tarry matter is thus prevented from accumulating and baking upon the sides of the retort in the form of hard carbon, thereby causing waste and obstructing the process of making gas. At about the time that the generation of woodgas is commenced, hydrocarbon oil is supplied from tank X and pipe Y to funnel z by opening valve 3 and is passed through the heating-coil N, where it is raised to the vaporizing temperature. In this heated condition it flows into the upper end of the inclined retort M, and is quickly converted into rich carbureted hydrogen gas as it flows downward toward the opening or throat Q, leading into the wood-retorts. The hot gases resulting from the distillation and decomposition of the wood and steam pass up and combine or mingle with the oil-gas and carry it along out of the retort, resulting in a fixed and rich illuminatinggas of uniform high candle power.

By preheating the oil in the coils, as above described, it is more certain to be converted into fixed gas in retort M, and the formation of condensable tarry or oily vapor thereby avoided. The hydrogen and other light or poor gas from the wood-retort combines advantageously with the rich oil-gas and prevents it from being decomposed and converted into lamp-black.

I am aware that heretofore it has been proposed to heat the oil previous to its admission to the decomposing-retort in the manufacture of oil and water gas with coal.

I am also aware that steam has been passed into the residual charcoal in the manufacture of wood-gas; but my invention is distinguished from such process by the fact that superheated steam is passed into the wood'retort and decomposed with it during its distillation, whereby the above-stated advantageous results are secured.

The preheating of the oil is also a new and advantageous step in connection with my process of distilling and decomposing wood and steam together and then mingling the resulting gases with fixed oil-gas in the generatingretort M.

The apparatus, combined and arranged as shown and specifically claimed, is distinct from other wood-gas generators.

Having described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, 1s

1. The process of generating fixed illuminating wood-gas, which consists in distilling the wood under the influence of steam in a heated retort and simultaneously generating oil-gas by first heating the oil and then passing it into a secondary heated commingling-retort, where it is converted into gas, and passing the gaseous products resulting from the wood and steam from the wood-retort into such secondary retort, and combining and fixing them with the oil-gas, so as to form a gas of uniform high candle power, substantially as described.

2. In an apparatus for generating illuminating wood-gas, the combination, with the furnace, of the wood-distilling retort, the oilgas-generating retort connected therewith, a steamsuperheating coil, 0, having a controlling-valve and connecting with the wood-retort, and an oil-heating coil, N, located in the brick-work above the oil-gas retort and connecting with the oil-gas retort, all connecting and operating as and for the purpose described.

3. In an apparatus for generating illuminating wood-gas, the combination, with the furnace and wood-distilling retort suitably set therein, of the connected oil-gasgenerating IIO retort inclined from its rear end downward to my invention I have signed my name, in presits connection with the wood-retort,,a. steamence of two witnesses, this 17th day of .April, su'perheater connecting with the wood-retort, 1886.

and an oil-heater connecting with the rear and JOHN D. AVERELL. 5 upper end of the oil-gasretort, connectingand Witnesses:

operating as and for the purpose described. REINHOLD BooKLEn,

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as THEODORE FELDSTEIN. 

